Board of Directors

Michael Christensen, Chair
Term ends 2010

Michael L. Christensen is Director of Pharmacy at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center and the Stevens Professor at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Dr. Christensen received a BS in Pharmacy from North Dakota State University in 1978 and his PharmD from the University of Tennessee in 1982. He completed a Pediatrics Residency at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center in 1983 and completed a fellowship in Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 1984. Dr. Christensen is a member of the BPS Specialty Council on Nutrition Support Pharmacy. He is a reviewer for over 10 Journals.

Dr. Christensen has been a member of PPAG since 1997. He has presented numerous times at PPAG Meetings. He is a member of the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics editorial board.

David Knoppert, Chair-Elect
Term ends 2011

David C. Knoppert is Liaison Neonatology and Coordinator of the Clinical Pharmacy Program at St. Joseph's Health Care in London, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Knoppert earned a Bachelor of Science Degree (University of Western Ontario, 1976), Bachelors of Education Degree (University of Toronto,1977), Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (University of Toronto, 1980), and a Master of Science in Pharmacy (University of Toronto, 1986). He completed a hospital pharmacy residency at University Hospital in London, Ontario in 1981. He also received a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (University of Western Ontario, 2004).

Mr. Knoppert has been a member of PPAG since 1999 and has served on the Research Committee since 2000, and co-chaired the committee from 2004-06. He has also served as a Scientific Abstract Reviewers since 2000. Mr. Knoppert has also led the PPAG International Inititiatives, which has resulted in the first International Pediatric Symposium that will be held in conjunction with ACCP in April 2009.

Jeffrey Low, Immediate Past-Chair
Term ends 2009(10)

Jeff Low is Clinical Pharmacist Specialist-Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth and Director of the Pharmacy Practice Residency Program at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Dr. Low received his PharmD from the University of Kentucky in 1996. He completed an ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Jeff has been an active member of PPAG for 9 years, and he has participated on the research & member services committees. Since 2003, Jeff has served as the Vice-President for Member Services, where he has worked on projects such as the PPAG website upgrades, membership survey, PPAG newsletter, and launching online CE.

Elizabeth Farrington
Terms ends 2010

Elizabeth Farrington is a Clinical Specialist - Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals and a Clinical Assistant Professor at UNC School of Pharmacy. Dr. Farrington earned her B.S. in Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina (1983) and her PharmD from the University of Kentucky (1985). Dr. Farrington completed a two-year (1 year in pediatrics) Clinical Pharmacy Residency at the University of Kentucky (88) and a Pediatric Research Fellowship at the University of Iowa (89). Dr. Farrington directs a Pediatric Pharmacotherapy Residency and has trained ten residents. Her practice area is pediatric critical care. Since joining PPAG in 1988, Dr. Farrington has participated as a speaker at several national meetings and served on the advocacy and education committees.

Amy Potts
Term Ends 2011

Amy Potts, PharmD, is currently Manager of Clinical Pharmacy Services at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Prior to her current position Dr. Potts was Medication Safety Program Director for the Department of Pharmacy at Vanderbilt Medical Center. She has also served as the NICU Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and Director, PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency Program at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, TN.

She is a graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has completed two years of post-graduate residency training in pharmacy practice and pediatrics both at Vanderbilt. She was the Clinical Coordinator and NICU Clinical Pharmacist at Children’s Hospital of Austin in Texas and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh before returning to Vanderbilt Children’s in 2006.

Dr. Potts has been a member of PPAG for 7 years and has actively served on both the Advocacy and Education Committees. She has helped develop and co-author many position statements relevant to pediatric pharmacy practice and helped in the planning and organization of the annual and specialty meetings this past year. She has also served as a mentor to new authors for the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Leslie Briars
Term Ends 2012

Leslie A. Briars, Pharm.D., is an ambulatory care clinical pharmacist at the University of Illinois Medical Center (UIMCC) at Chicago Children and Adolescent Center. She also has an appointment to the College of Pharmacy as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Leslie has served in her current position since July of 1995.

She received her doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1993 and then completed a one-year pharmacy practice residency at University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994. In 1995, Leslie completed a one-year pediatric pharmacy specialty residency at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Her areas of interest include asthma, attention deficit disorder, adolescent medicine, nephrology and HIV infection.

Dr. Potts has been a member of PPAG for over 10 years, most recently, actively participating in the Advocacy and Education Committees, submitting various position statements (e.g., long-acting beta-agonist therapy in pediatric asthma and updates on use of over-the-counter cough and cold products), co-coordinating the education program for the annual meeting in 2007 and presenting various topics throughout the years, including the teaching workshops.

William (Bill) Maish

Term Ends 2012

Bill Maish, Pharm.D., is an Acute Pediatrics Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at the Arnold Palmer Medical Center in Orlando. He participates in residency training through the PGY 2 in Pediatrics at Arnold Palmer Medical Center and the PGY 1 at Orlando Healthcare. He also precepts students from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Dr. Maish earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (Purdue University, 1986) and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Medical University of South Carolina, 1991). He completed two fellowships in Oklahoma City; Pediatric Pharmacotherapy (University of Oklahoma Medical Center, 1993) and Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacotherapeutics (the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1994).

Bill has been an active member of PPAG for more than 15 years and has participated on the Membership Services Committee during most of that time. After serving as Member Services Committee Chair, Bill became the Vice-President for Member Services in 2007, where he has worked on projects such as the quarterly PPAG newsletters, PPAG website upgrades, and membership surveys. He has also served as an Abstract Reviewer.

Heather VandenBussche
Term Ends 2012

Heather L. VandenBussche, is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Ferris State University College of Pharmacy in Kalamazoo, MI. She practices in general pediatrics at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo and in the cystic fibrosis clinic at the Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. Dr. VandenBussche received her PharmD at the University of Michigan in 1995. She completed an ASHP-accredited pharmacy practice residency at Children’s Hospital in Detroit, MI in 1996 and a pediatric pharmacy specialty residency at the University of Michigan in 1997. Previously, Dr. VandenBussche was a clinical pharmacist in pediatric infectious diseases and assistant clinical professor at the University of Michigan.

Dr. VandenBussche has been a member of PPAG since 1996 and has actively served on the Research Committee since 2003, which she has co-chaired since 2006. She has reviewed scientific research abstracts since 2004 and authored the Guidelines for Abstract Preparation in 2008. She has also served on the Journal Advisory Board for the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics since 2006. She has also presented at various annual meetings since 2005.